Containers, for example bottles or jars, are known which are used, among other things, to store liquids in the field of cosmetics, medicine and dermatology. The bottles are in most cases made of a flexible plastic, so that gentle pressure on the body of the bottle is sufficient to expel the liquid in the bottle out of the opening. Examples which may be mentioned here are the known plastic bottles for shower formulations, liquid soaps, shampoo, and massage oils. Bottles which can be closed with a screw-on cap are preferred. Tubes are suitable as containers for ointments, gels or pastes.
The containers are often produced by the extrusion blow-molding process.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,829 discloses a process and a device for the production of flat bottles from an extruded parison which is preblown in an intermediate mold and only then is transferred into a final blow mold, the mold cavity of which has the contour of the flat bottle that is to be produced.
DE 37 02 844 A1 discloses a process which follows this principle and an extrusion blow-molding machine which operates thereby. In this, a plastic parison is freely extruded, taken to an intermediate mold and blow-molded there to form a rotationally symmetrical intermediate molding. This intermediate molding, which consequently has a circular cross section at each height, already has approximately the length (height) of the flat bottle to be produced, and has in its main sections (base, body, neck) a circumference which is more or less approximate to the corresponding circumferences of the flat bottle. The latter is shaped by transferring the intermediate molding into a final blow mold, as is known from DE 27 20 448 C2, for example.
This technique, which is largely waste-free and accordingly free from pinch-off welds, for production of flat bottles of substantially uniform wall thickness has proven valuable.
In EP 0 688 658 A1, the intermediate molding is supported mechanically from underneath, at least during transfer from the intermediate mold into the final blow mold. The intermediate molding is supported by an additional movable mold part at least during transfer from the intermediate mold into the final blow mold. This mold part can advantageously match the base contour of the intermediate molding. As a rule, the mold part must be displaceable in the vertical direction, so that closing of the final blow mold is not impeded.
Massage devices have also been known for a long time. They exist in the most diverse of shapes and materials. They can be made of plastics or of naturally occurring materials.
Thus, a massage device is known which can be controlled electrically and is integrated into seating furniture, such as an armchair or the like. In this known massage device, one or more massage heads are arranged under the seat cover. These massage heads are driven electrically by electric motors, so that they are set in motion and a person sitting on the chair can be massaged at an appropriate place by means of the massage head.
A massage device is also known in which massage pins, distributed across the surface of a ball of plastic, extend in the radial direction from the ball surface, so that, for massage purposes, this ball can be rolled across the surface to be massaged or over the human body.
Massage applicators made of plastic can have the most diverse of shapes. Roller applicators/ball applicators and pin applicators are known.
In roller applicators or ball applicators, movable balls are held in a suitable guide, and a pure pressure massage is achieved in this way. The pressure massage is very skin-friendly, since the frictional resistance is reduced to a minimum.
Pin applicators made of rubber or soft plastic exhibit increased friction. This increased friction intensifies the massage effect in the upper layers of the skin, but can also lead to skin irritation on sensitive areas of skin. Generally speaking, a more intense massage effect is achieved by massage with a pin applicator. At the same time, massage with a pin applicator also leads to greater mechanical stressing of the skin and of the underlying tissue and therefore to an increased blood flow in the skin. The increased blood flow and the massage of the subcutaneous tissue leads to a strengthening of the subcutaneous tissue. This strengthening leads to an improvement in the appearance of the skin and thus prevents or counteracts cellulite.
The points mentioned in respect of massage applicators made of plastic also apply in general to massage applicators made of naturally occurring materials, for example wood. However, in the case of these applicators made of naturally occurring substances, there are also special forms which are made, for example, of braided sisal rope or similar materials. In these applicators, the rough surface of the naturally occurring substances is used for the massage.
The human body does not reach its full stature until about 20 years of age. Within this period, the still sensitive muscle and bone apparatus may become damaged. Areas of weakness can develop which, in the course of adult life, may lead to disease. Rheumatoid diseases are considered as being the number one disorder in this respect.
The term “rheumatoid diseases” covers painful disorders of the joints, muscles, nerves or tendons. These are caused by, among other things, external factors, such as cold or heat, or by overexertion. There are over 500 different known causes of pain of the muscles, joints and nerves. Known signs and symptoms include muscle tension, shoulder/arm pain, connective tissue pain after overexertion (muscle soreness), joint pain and nerve pain of the rheumatoid type; sports injuries (contusion, overstretching, compression), knee arthrosis, stiff neck (tension in the neck), back pain, sciatica and lumbago, peripheral circulation disorders, and nocturnal calf pain.
Possible triggers of all these states of pain may be                sitting the wrong way,        lack of movement,        incorrect posture when sitting, standing and lying,        lifting and carrying heavy weights in the wrong way,        overexertion,        cold and drafts.        
In the case of muscle tension, the muscle tissue has poor blood flow and is not adequately supplied with oxygen and nutrients. Metabolic end products are not carried away and are able to accumulate. The painful muscle is automatically given protection and therefore has even less blood flowing through it—forming a vicious circle—and the pain intensifies. Relief is obtained only when pain conduction is blocked.
To eliminate the muscle tension, it is recommended to stimulate as much as possible the flow of blood through the affected parts of the body. The possible known ways of doing this include, in particular, massage, medical baths, specific sports activity, and gymnastics.
Special ointments accelerate, strengthen and prolong the tonicity-enhancing action, and the recovery time is thus reduced by earlier starting of body movement exercises.
Various massage products are also available as starting aids (vascular training) for physical exercises in sports/winter sports. These improve the working conditions of the muscles and thus help prevent muscle injury.
In the case of muscle pain and joint pain, heat plays an important role. In acute pain, relief can be obtained in particular from special, deep-acting creams, for example containing the active substances capsaicin and/or nicotinic acid derivatives.
N-Vanillyl nonanamide (nonivamide) is a synthetic capsaicin. The natural basis of capsaicin is paprika (Spanish pepper).
Capsaicin: N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-8-methylnon-trans-6-enamide

Starting materials of capsaicin-containing preparations are Capsici fructus (paprika). and Capsici fructus acer (cayenne pepper). The dried fruits of various Capsicum species are used, or the dried, mature fruits of Capsicum frutescens, in most cases freed of the calyx.
Constituents of cayenne pepper are the pungent substances of the vanillyl amide type, the capsainoids, with up to 77% capsaicin.
Nicotinic acid derivatives acted as intensifiers of capsaicin. Nicotinic acid is an important natural building block of skin and cell walls. One derivative of nicotinic acid is 2-butoxyethyl nicotinate (nicoboxil). Addition of nicoboxil can provide a 40% increase in the effect of capsaicin.
The active substance nonivamide acts by blocking nerve reflexes which conduct pain impulses. Nicoboxil promotes blood flow, so that the healing process in the affected tissue is assisted. The strong healing action of the heat lasts for several hours. Tension and cramps subside, pain is relieved, and mobility restored.
A commercial product containing a combination of the abovementioned active substances is Finalgon®. Finalgon is a product from the Thomae company and has been on the market since Feb. 15, 1951. Other products on the market contain, in addition to N-vanillyl nonanamide, benzyl nicotinate and diethyl salicylate (abc-Salbe® from Beiersdorf). In particular, N-vanillyl nonanamide directly stimulates the highly sensitive nerve endings in the skin and thus increases blood flow in the skin by up to 5 times and provides an up to 160% increase in blood flow in the muscles. With its especially prolonged duration of action, it alleviates tension rapidly and reliably and thus provides lasting pain relief. This mechanism of action is explained as follows:
When pain occurs, the cells in which pain perception starts are blocked (analgesic action). When a stimulus occurs, certain mediators are released which excite so-called receptors. These pick up the information and conduct the pain via the nerve fibers and through the spinal cord to the central nervous system in the brain (CNS). N-Vanillyl nonanamide intervenes directly in this and interrupts the pain conduction. This is because N-vanillyl nonanamide binds to certain receptors and thus suppresses conduction of the stimulus. 2-Butoxyethyl nicotinate supports and intensifies the action of N-vanillyl nonanamide.
In addition to the effect on the pain receptors, widening of the blood vessels also takes place. The flow of blood in the skin is increased. This is sensed by the user as a very intense sensation of heat (“burning”). The skin changes to a strong red color in places, and heating of the skin by up to 2 degrees can be detected. This reaction is sensed by many users as a sometimes unpleasant side effect, although it is completely harmless and does not damage the skin.
The effect of increased blood flow and heating of the skin means that the deeper-lying muscle tissue is also heated (promoting blood circulation). The muscles thus relax.
For an area the size of the palm of one's hand, only a pea-sized amount is needed, and this is usually massaged into the skin using the fingers and hands. Particularly for injured persons, every movement is often very painful, so that large areas of the surface of the body cannot easily be reached by the hands, let alone massaged. In this connection, the upper area of the back in particular causes problems when applying the substance without assistance.